Ursula von der Leyen on a trip to kyiv

On Saturday June 11, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, traveled to kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The country claims the status of candidate to the European Union. “In these times of cruel war, we Ukrainians have proven that our state and public institutions remain sustainable, that our people are absolutely integrated into the European space”said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But the 27 member countries of the EU are divided on the file. Some members consider the Ukrainian institutions too fragile. “You have done a lot to strengthen the rule of lawt, mBut there are still reforms to put in place to fight corruption, modernize your administration or attract investors”, said Ursula von der Leyen. Ukraine will receive a response next week. But even with candidate status, the process of joining the EU could take several years. The second visit by the President of the European Commission comes as fighting intensifies in the east of the country.